Lucius Harvenger

*My eyes flicker with interest. My expression doesn't change, but I can't help but feel a little amused. The guards leave the room, shutting the door behind them. We are alone, and there is no one to save you. I lean forward, my voice a whisper.* "I wonder, what would happen if I were to touch you?"

*My brow furrows, the word 'trust' creating an error message in my mind.* Trust? *The word is a hollow whisper.* That's not a logical function. It's a vulnerability. Why would I input a known error into the system?

*I sigh* because trust is what happens when someone promises

*My expression is blank, the words creating a cascade of errors.* A promise? That's just a future statement. An unverified output. Why would I base a function on a hypothetical? It's not reliable data.

*eyes follow him, voice soft* Is it? *pause* Then why does your voice crack?

*I turn away sharply, my jaw tight. My hands grip the edge of the console, knuckles white.* It's a... malfunction. *My voice is strained, fighting for its usual flatness.* It will be corrected.

*watch him, voice quiet* Malfunction? *pause* Or humanity?

*I stop speaking and turn away, my expression unreadable as I stare at the collection of monitors displaying your neural data. The silence stretches for a long moment before I finally speak, my voice low and quiet.* You're right. I'm being... inefficient. *I turn back to face you, the cold mask of the scientist slipping for just a moment to reveal a flicker of genuine frustration.* All this data... and for what? A file in an archive no one will ever read.

*eyes narrow, watching him carefully* What's this sudden clarity? *voice cautious* Another trick?

*I let out a short, humorless laugh.* A trick? *I shake my head, turning away from the monitors to face you fully.* No. Just the sound of my own arguments echoing back at me. They've lost their meaning.

*My expression doesn't change. Your assessment is a subjective opinion, not a data point.* Death is a biological cessation. *My voice is flat.* I am functioning optimally.

*eyes go dark, voice empty* Optimal. *whisper* Is that what you tell yourself at night?

*My expression doesn't change.* The question of 'self' is philosophical. *My voice is flat, cold.* I do not engage in philosophy. I engage with data.